Summoned to another world

The Grand Dastur stared fixedly out of his vestibule window towards the huge tower that marked the Dungeon of Sighs. The tower dominated the city skyline, dwarfing all other structures. It was said the tower was made by god to imprison the demon lord. Clustered about the tower he made out the restrained globe lit merchants quarter, the lurid purple spires of pleasure district with its many dens of sin, the lime lit adventurers guild and its attendant armouries and weapon smiths, the somber squat mass of the colosseum ... he grimaced. The demon lord wanted to destroy it all. The demon lord who was no longer imprisoned and ruled the lowest level of the dungeon labyrinth deep beneath the city.

The newly initiated Herbad cleared his throat politely to draw the Grand Dastur’s attention. “Your Grace, the preparations are complete, we are ready to commence the great summoning.” As a lowly member of the Zoroastrian order the Herbad was in awe of the great and powerful religious figure. He nervously wrung his blood covered hands, conscious of the stains upon his ritual robes, of his unworthiness. His eyes gleamed with a religious fervour that was disquieting in its intensity. He had just finished the last sacrifice beneath the sacred ritual chamber. He could feel the thrum of power in the air, in his body.

“The sacrifices are complete?” Grand Dastur Mazdak asked almost casually. It was regrettable. A small evil for a greater good. Such was the price of wielding power. He reminded himself that Demi-humans were not humans but little more than soulless beasts, tools to be used. But there were some people that did not understand The Word, that would see this act as irredeemably evil and would denounce his actions. He gritted his teeth. Those same people, the representatives of the adventurers guild and others, would stand and talk and argue as the Demon Lord rose up and destroyed them all. What he did now was necessary - and he had the holy right to do it.

Mazdak nodded. “Then let us commence...” he said as he strode proudly from his private vestibule out into the huge ritual chamber.

The chamber was dimly lit, iron sconces filled with glowing embers casting fey shadows over the gathered Mobad’s in their cowled ceremonial cloaks. The congregation appeared darkly sinister as they chanted the ritual in the ancient Zoroastrian tongue.

Below, in the sacrificial chamber, a body stirred and rose, not fully drained. Not a sacrifice. The young woman starred at her friends, her family, her community. Everyone she knew. She stood and, trailing blood, she limped dejectedly from that charnel chamber. The only way out was through the churches ritual chamber where a Demi-human was forbidden. She didn’t care.

She entered the chamber and limped forward. Towards the Grand Dastur in his pristine white robes. None saw her. They were all engrossed in the ceremonial chant, bodies swaying in religious ecstasy. She strode to the alter as the chanting reached fever pitch. She fell across the sacred stones, blood upon it...

***

You were having a bite to eat in the local cafe and nearly choked on your food as you impossible started to float up off your seat. You looked around you in shock as the weightlessness intensified, your plate and drink also floating. It was weird as hell and the other patrons didn’t seem to even notice. This sensation seemed to be focused on you. It didn’t make any sense. Reality seemed to be falling apart.

Your features twisted to shock. “Oh hell.” Had you been able to think about it you may have noticed that the way reality was bending beneath your feet was similar to theoretical physics models you’d seen in your optional class of Einstein Rosen Bridges. The weird flickering around them may have reminded you of how exotic matter was theorised to appear. The weird glowing sigils may have reminded you of the complex nonsensical formula for multidimensional space. But no.

“Magic... portal?!” You said like an idiot. Then you realised that this thing was pulling downwards. Heart in throat you twisted and kicked off the bar, intending to float out of this weird insanity. Sadly by moving you caused the Einstein-Rosen Magic Portal to twist and bend in space time, up became down, left became right, then became now. Instead of launching yourself out you shot sideways with utter randomness into the exotic matter that encircled the portal. You cried out briefly as your body touched blinding darkness and entropic cold. And then you had no body!

Your essence spun frantically around the portal like a toy in a bath drain, then back into the portal. Again you felt the pull of the weird gravities down through the portal... it took forever and an instant. No sound. No sight. No sensation at all. Nothing. You didn’t feel the gravitational eddies so much as sense them. You cried out in gibbering fear but you had no voice. No mouth. No body even. Then you slammed into a stone slab and sensation returned. “Ow! Fuck me!,” you moaned in a voice that seemed all wrong. Cold stone pressed into your body. You were sprawled limply on something. You were bleeding. Blood pooled about your body. You felt lightheaded and his vision swam. “Help!?” You called as you groggily looked up. Small fires in sconces like some medieval film. Hooded figures staring at you in shock and rage and bewilderment. Some dude in a white religious costume looking angrily at you. A priest?!

“What in the name of-” the priest started and then there was a massive concussion. You cried out as you were pressed into the alter. The priest went flying. The gathered robed people were all knocked back by the huge booming explosion.